From Gerald (Gerry) Brown, Media Consultant in Hong Kong, the latest buzz on the Digital Broadcasters market in Asia-Pacific, South Asia and the Middle East covering the latest content and hardware moves in HDTV, 3G, IPTV, Mobile TV, terrestrial radio and TV, cable TV, broadband, satellite broadcast and streaming online.

Saturday, May 27, 2006

India To Go Digital by 2015 under the next Five Year Plan 2007-2012

Latest news from India's Information & Broadcasting Ministry is that
country is to convert from analog to digital radio and TV
transmission by 2015 under the nation's Five Year Plan 2007-2012.

The Broadcasting Authority, Prasar Bharati is called upon to ensure
that during 2013 digital terrestrial transmissions by both All India
Radio (AIR) and Doordarshan (DD) will be in place in all cities (main
urban areas).

The delivery systems for Cable and Satellite will be moved on to
Conditional Access first as a precursor to complete changeover by
2015 along with terrestrial transmissions.

The Five Year requires the I&B Ministry to plan to make conditional
access set top boxes in India, which contradicts present
recommendations which recommend imports. Locally-made, STB's should
have digital analog conversion capability for delivery of the digital
signal to the subscriber along with conditional access and address-
ability features.

Indian industry experts have also recommended that national standards
for the manufacture of digital receivers must be established before
local production commences.

In order to make digital conversion a complete success, testing,
publication and adoption of technical standards for terrestrial
digital transmission must be undertaken by the Government.

This must also include adoption and publication of digital standards
for cable television.

The plan calls for implementation in a phased manner during the
Eleventh Five Year plan.

The Plan also endorses also a unitary body to regulate content and
distribution.